The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-03-26
The Brothers.

From the record we learn that Jacob had
twelve sons and one daughter. The two sons
of Rachel, the wife whom he loved, we're the
youngest of his children. The Oldest four
were sons of Leah, who was the mother of
six sons and one daughter. His wives maids,
BiIhah and Zilpah, were each the mother of
two of his sons.
At the time of our Lesson Joseph's breth-
rem, probably the sons of Leah, or, at least,
the Oldest four, were at Shechem, tending
their father g flocks. Shechem was about fifty
miles north of Hebron. Joseph was sent by
his father to inquire after the welfare of his
brethren and the flock. He found his breth-
rem in the unoccupied region [wilderness
near Dothan, place about ten miles north
of Shecbem.
The brothers seeing him approaching at a
distance conspired to kill him and thus make
an end of his dreaming, and of all danger of
his becoming the head of their house or chief
of the tribe. But Reuben. the Oldest of the
brothers, perhaps feeling his responsibility
for the welfare of his younger brother, dis
suaded his brethren from killing him and ad-
vised them to throw him into an empty ois-
tern near by, where he might perish if not
rescued. This would satisfy the malice of
the envious brothers and they consented
But Reuben, it is said, intended to deliver
and restore him to his father.
(23-32). When Joseph arrived, "the coat of
many colors," which was the despised evil
dence of their fathers partially for the
proud and pretentious youth, and sign of
superior rank, was taken off and he was
thrown into the cistern, as Reuben had sug-
gested. Joseph's life was indeed spared by
the proposal of Reuben; but his intention to
send him back to his father was frustrated
When the brothers were eating, after having
cast Joseph into the pit, they beheld cara
van of Arab merchants approaching.
The great caravan road from Damascus to
Egypt passed through the plain of Dothan.
The Ishmaelites and Midianites were the de-
scendants of Abraham's two sons, Ishmael
and INDIAN. They were largely engaged in
the caravan trade between Arabia and Egypt
The words are probably employed in this
account as the equivalent of merchants" ".
28). Gilead was a mountainous region east
of the Jordan, Astounding in spices and aro-
matte gums, which we're in great demand IN
Egypt for havoring, perfumery, incense and
medicine, but principally for embaim1ng the
dead.
Judah, Jacobs fourth son, proposed to his
brethren that they sell Joseph to the mer-
chants rather than leave him to die in the
pit where he had been cast by their hands;
"for he is our brother" he said. He evil
IDENTIFY felt horror of mourning the guilt of
a brothers death, though he, too, would
gladly get rid of him, that his dreams might
not come true, and that he might not receive
the birthright 1.-THE right of the frat bornl as
the favorite son of their father. The broth
ers welcomed the proposal to "haye profit"
by preserving the life of the despised one,
and so lifted him from the pit and sold him
for thirty pieces or bars of silver, the usual
price, probably, of a slave (Leviticus xvii.
81. The merchants took Joseph to Egypt and
sold him to one of the royal officers.
Reuben appears not to have been present
when Joseph was sold to the Arabian mer-
chants. When he went to the pit with the
evident purpose of rescuing him from his
apparent fate, and found that he was not
there, he rent his clothes, Ian oriental sign
of intense grief and exclaimed to his breth-
rem whom he may have thought had taken
and slain him: "The boy ia no more, and
how shall account to his father for his dis
appearance WHITTIER shall go?l % But the
brothers were at no loss for an expedient.
They dipped Joseph's royal garment in the
blood of goat, and sent it to his father with
the message: ave have found this; see
whether it is thy sons coat or not" To con-
ceal their guilt they added falsehood and de-
oeption to the original crime. single sin
is not usual experience. One wrong done
demands another, and another, till the whole
life is established in sin and the soul is over
whelmed by remorse end the prospect of
ruin. When once a course of evil is entered
upon one cannot retrace his steps and con-
ceal his guilt. Every effort at concealment
is additional sin. Confession must precede
conversion and genuine repentance. "If
we confess our sins COP is faithful and
righteous to forgive us our SINS" but if we
deny that we have sinned and strive to con-
ceal what we have done, COP will speedily
bring us to Judgment and uncover the hide ]
things of our lives. The smallest sin may
be the beginning of sinful career that shall
end only in shame, sorrow and misery.
Envy, hatred and murder marked the steps
of the evil course of Joseph's brethrenj and
though the murderous design was not actu-
ally perpetrated the sinful course, was CON-